Bonn has become Germany's first city with a Green Globe certified hotel.
A major hub for United Nations institutions - especially those dealing with environmental issues and sustainable development - the 26th of July 2010 saw the city's Maritim Hotel Bonn meet the necessary criteria.
The European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) also bestowed its seal of approval upon the hotel for its outstanding initiatives in environmental management - making it the first in Germany to hold the certification.
In order to qualify for the 12 month approval, the Maritim Hotel Bonn had to fulfil at least 51 percent of just under 250 criteria. One of those particularly proud of receiving a Green Globe is the hotel's technical director, Gerd Frings.
Assigned responsibility for spearheading the hotel's sustainable development efforts, he said: "It's critical to understand that the path to substantially reducing environmental impact is travelled by taking lots and lots of small steps".
14,000 Euro in electricity bills can be saved each year by using modern, energy efficient mini bars alone. The hotel's refuse is sorted into 17 separate receptacles before being collected. A purchasing policy gives locally grown produce priority and consumables such as coffee and chocolate are acquired from fair trade sources.
The food & beverage department no longer provides individually packaged condiments and sauces. Lighting throughout the entire hotel is being converted to energy efficient illumination. Retired towels and linen find extended usage as rags and damaged dinnerware ends up being crushed for roadwork foundations.
A number of measures benefit environmental improvement initiatives: Two Euro from every conference fee for example, is donated to a certified institution that specialises in combating air pollution.
Hans Schaden, the hotel's director said, "The Green Globe Certification is a cherished accolade in 187 countries around the globe. We created and maintained a long list of environmentally friendly measures to earn the seal of approval and we will continue to investigate ways in which we can reduce waste and optimise resource management in the future."
The hotel's efforts are apparent to guests as well: The city's WelcomeCard with its discounted entrance fees and built-in public transport coverage is a part of many of the packages the hotel offers. Bicycles are also made available to guests free of charge.
Both the Maritim Hotel Bonn and the nearby Maritim Hotel Königswinter have been actively engaged in environmental protection and resource management since they joined the 'Sustainable Bonn' initiative back in 2007.
